Jesse Marsch rebuts Sam Allardyce over Leeds fitness claims

The row over Leeds United’s decline continued as Jesse Marsch pushed back hard against comments from his successor Sam Allardyce about the squad’s physical state during the 2022-23 season. Marsch, who followed Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road, rejected suggestions that Bielsa’s high-intensity blueprint had been allowed to collapse under his and subsequent coaches’ watch.

Allardyce, who took charge for four games in a late attempt to avoid relegation, argued the team’s fitness levels had fallen sharply since Bielsa’s era. He contrasted the relentless Leeds side he faced as an opponent with the one he inherited, saying the club had dropped to the Premier League’s bottom three for physical stats and blamed the two managers who came in after Bielsa.

Marsch replied on social media with data from his time in charge, sharing statistics that showed Leeds top of the Premier League for total kilometres covered, metres covered, high-speed sprints, high-speed runs and overall sprints.

England, Leeds

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